Birmingham City avoided Newcastle United, Steve Bruce sting but Sheffield Wednesday couldn't | OneFootball

Birmingham City managed to keep hold of Steve Bruce amid interest from Newcastle United, but Sheffield Wednesday could not do the same.

Sheffield Wednesday are a club that seem to be heading in the right direction once again under the guidance of manager Danny Rohl.

After a disastrous start to last season under Xisco Munoz, Wednesday looked destined to make an immediate return to League One, but they achieved safety following a remarkable turnaround after Rohl's arrival in October.

It may have been an inconsistent start to this campaign for the Owls, but there have been clear signs of progress under Rohl, and optimism around Hillsborough has arguably not been this high since Steve Bruce's brief tenure over five years ago.

Bruce took over as Wednesday manager in January 2019 following the sacking of Jos Luhukay, and he made a huge impact, but after just over six months in charge, he controversially left the club for Premier League side Newcastle United.

The manner of Bruce's departure just weeks before the start of the season was devastating for Owls supporters, and the club would have been frustrated that they were unable to prevent his move to St James' Park - just as Birmingham City had done years earlier.

Birmingham City kept hold of Steve Bruce despite Newcastle United interest

Bruce had been in charge of Crystal Palace for less than three months when he resigned to take over at Birmingham, which left then Eagles owner Simon Jordan furious, and he took out an injunction preventing Bruce from leaving the club without serving a nine-month notice period.

However, an agreement was eventually reached, with Bruce starting work at St Andrew's in December 2001, and he led the Blues to promotion to the Premier League five months later as they beat Norwich City on penalties in the play-off final.

Bruce successfully kept Birmingham in the top flight for the next two seasons, finishing 13th and 10th in the table respectively, but in August 2004, speculation emerged linking him with the vacant managerial role at Newcastle following the departure of Sir Bobby Robson.

Given that Bruce was a boyhood Magpies supporter, he would no doubt have been tempted by the job, but the North East outfit eventually ended up appointing Graeme Souness as Robson's replacement, and Bruce remained at Birmingham - something he later admitted that he regretted.

Bruce's position came under threat after the Blues were relegated from the Premier League in the 2005-06 campaign, but the hierarchy stuck with him, and they were rewarded for their patience as he achieved a second promotion from the Championship the following season.

With Birmingham sitting 15th in the top flight, Bruce departed to take charge of Wigan Athletic in November 2007, with the Latics paying a reported compensation fee of £3 million for his services, which was a world-record at the time.

After a dismal year under Luhukay, there was plenty of excitement when Bruce arrived at Hillsborough in January 2019, and given that he had won four promotions from the Championship during his career, many believed he could be the man to end Wednesday's long Premier League exile.

Bruce enjoyed an outstanding start to his tenure at Hillsborough, going unbeaten in his first 11 games, and with his side rapidly climbing the table, he admitted that he was starting to dream of a potential play-off finish.

However, the poor first half of the season under Luhukay had given the Owls too much of a mountain to climb, and they eventually finished the season in 12th place, but that was still a more than respectable outcome.

After the significant improvement during Bruce's reign, Wednesday supporters went into the summer feeling excited about what could be achieved in the following season, but that positivity came crashing down when Bruce resigned in July 2019 to take over at Newcastle.

Just days before leaving the club, Bruce had denied reports that he was set to make the move to St James' Park, stating that the rumours were "news to me", and that only increased the anger of a fan base who were already unhappy with Bruce walking out on them so late in pre-season.

Bruce's exit sparked a bitter dispute between Newcastle and Wednesday, with the Owls reporting the Magpies to the Premier League as they believed that details of a release clause in Bruce's contract had been leaked, making it harder for them to keep hold of him, and they are said to have received around £4 million in compensation.

However, that money would have been little consolation for Wednesday, and they suffered a dramatic decline after Bruce's departure, with Garry Monk, Tony Pulis and Darren Moore all taking charge on the way to relegation to League One in 2021, while Lee Bullen and Neil Thompson also had lengthy interim spells.

Due to his previous stint in charge of rivals Sunderland and the fact he was seen as an unambitious appointment, Bruce failed to win over the passionate Newcastle fan base, and he was sacked in October 2021 following the club's Saudi takeover, but he insists he has no regrets about his decision to swap Hillsborough for St James' Park, despite enjoying his spell as Owls manager.

"I really enjoyed it there. Magnificent support - that blew me away. However, after three of four months, I got the phone call from Newcastle and I had to take it. They're my club, my family’s club," Bruce told The Telegraph.